7 Tips to Sleep Better With Menopause

A good night’s sleep can feel impossible on your menopause journey. Sleep disturbances are often a challenging problem for midlife women, according to Mary Rosser, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of women's health in obstetrics and gynecology and the director of Integrated Women's Health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York, New York.

Why Do Women Have Sleep Issues During Menopause?

“This causes an inability to obtain adequate deep or REM sleep,” Rosser says. Other health conditions, such as loss of bladder control, joint pain, and depression, as well as alcohol and certain medications can contribute to inadequate sleep, she notes. If you already have insomnia, the menopause transition can make it even worse.

If menopause symptoms continually keep you up at night, make an appointment to see your doctor. In the meantime, try these lifestyle changes and smart sleep strategies to rest easy.

1. Consider Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

2. Move Your Body During the Day

“There are so many studies that indicate that people who have a regular exercise routine tend to be better sleepers,” says Deirdre Conroy, PhD, a clinical sleep psychologist at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor. “So if you're not elevating your heart rate during the day, that may be another contributing factor to your difficulty sleeping.”

The timing of your exercise is important, however. Rosser recommends avoiding exercise within two to three hours of your bedtime, as it can also interfere with rest.

3. Sip Selectively

It’s best to avoid caffeine altogether if you are struggling with insomnia or night sweats that repeatedly wake you up. But if you must have it, consume caffeine early in the day.

Dr. Conroy notes that tea can be a soothing drink before bed, but it’s important to check which varieties contain caffeine. “Green tea is very good for your health, but it does have some natural caffeine in it,” she says. “I encourage people to have herbal teas with no caffeine and make sure that the label says herbal and not just ‘caffeine free,’ because there might be trace amounts of caffeine that your system may be very sensitive to.”

4. Keep Cool

To ward off hot flashes and night sweats, keep your bedroom temperature comfortable and low. Rosser recommends aiming for 66 to 68 degrees F.

5. Try Relaxation Techniques

If anxiety during menopause is keeping you awake at night, relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing can help you to de-stress. “The good news is there are so many apps available now that make practicing these techniques very accessible,” Conroy says.

At the end of the study period, those who meditated reported significantly less daytime fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and pre-sleep arousal, which included both physical and mental symptoms like sweating and intrusive thoughts, than the control group.

If you wake up because of hot flashes (or for another reason), lying awake in bed isn’t likely to help you fall asleep again. “Give it about 20 minutes, then get out of bed and do something relaxing,” Conroy says. “Move into another room, get a change of scenery, and read a book or do something quietly until you start feeling sleepy, then go back to bed.”

6. Stick to a Schedule

You may be tempted to stay up late during the week and then catch up on rest over the weekend, but sticking to the same schedule every night is more conducive to getting quality sleep, Conroy says.

That means going to bed and waking up at about the same time every day. It’s also helpful to develop sleep rituals, such as reading, meditating, or listening to soft music before bed, Rosser suggests. She advises avoiding screen time one to two hours prior to sleep.

7. See a Specialist

“If you've been struggling with insomnia for three months or more, it's probably time to talk to your doctor about it,” Conroy says. “Then hopefully you can get a referral for a qualified sleep medicine professional to figure out why that might be happening.”

The Takeaway

• Sleep disturbances are a common part of the menopause transition due to hormonal changes, night sweats, and the stress of midlife.
• Establishing a consistent sleep schedule and regular daytime exercise can significantly improve sleep quality and help you relieve insomnia.
• Avoiding stimulants like caffeine and alcohol, especially later in the day, may help reduce hot flashes and night sweats, preventing disruptions to your sleep cycle.
• If you’ve had chronic insomnia for three months or more, speak to a healthcare professional to discuss treatments such as hormone therapy or get a referral to a sleep specialist.